Reel



Aug- 1 1967 F. M. FISHER 3,333,784

REEL

Filed Jan. 24, 1966 5 Sheets-sheet 1 F. M. FISHER Aug. 1, 1967 REEL 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 24, 1966 :E I E 3 FI E Q:

F. M. FISHER Aug. 1, 1967 REEL 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Jan. 24, 1966 United States Patent O 3,333,784 REEL Fenton M. Fisher, Oakland, Calif., assignor to Friden, Ine., a corporation of Delaware Filed Jan. 24, 1966, Ser. No. 522,549 6 Claims. (Cl. 242--68.3)

This invention relates to a tape-handling apparatus, and more specilically to a storage reel for winding and storing liexible strips of web material, such as lilm, ribbon, or tape, and from which the web material can be readily removed.

In the past, it has been difficult to design a tape storage reel which is simple in construction and which provides easy and rapid removal of the tape from the reel without disassembly of its parts. It is obvious that since the tape is wound on the reel with a firm tension, considerable force is required to strip a Wound roll of tape from the reel. With these types of reels, a strong grip and considerable care are required for removing the roll from the reel without pulling its center turns out to form 'a tube clinging to the hub of the reel.

The reels which are commonly used for winding and unwinding flexible strip material generally comprise a hub having a disc, or flange, at each end thereof, providing a space in which the iiexible strip material may be wound around the hub. These reels are made so that one of the flanges must be removed from the hub to enable the lwound roll of exible strip material to be removed as a roll, in contrast to rewinding it. While such reels are relatively inexpensive, they are not entirely satisfactory because of the difficulty of removing the tape. The best reel of the prior art seems to be one having one flange which is constructed of flexible material and has a plurality of tapered pins secured thereon for providinga hub about which the flexible strip of material is wound. This type of reel permits an operator to remove the roll of tape by flexing the flange, rocking the pins inwardly so that the roll can be slipped off easily. However, it is difiicult for the operator to iiex the disc to produce a sufficient inward bowing of the several tapered posts in order to release the wound roll of material therefrom.

The present invention may be used as a take-up reel which provides a wound roll of tape, which may be conveniently removed from the reel and stored for future use. By means of the present invention, the wound roll of tape may be removed from the reel by only a simple pull on a stripper flange with the lingers and a push against a hub with the thumbs.

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide an improved tape reel from which the wound roll of tape may be easily removed.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a reel having novel means for releasably mounting the lreel on the drive mechanism therefor.

It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a simple stripping means for removingthe wound roll of tape from the hub of the reel.

Other objects of the present invention will, in part, be obvious and will, in part, appear hereinafter.

For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention, reference should be had to the following detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of one embodiment of the present invention and shows, in detail, the construction of the reel;

FIG. 2 is a pictorial view of the reel and shows how the fingers grip the stripping plate and the thumbs press against the hub for removing the tape from the reel;

FIG. 3 is a pictorial view showing the position of the stripper and tape subsequent to movement of the stripper;

FIG. 4 is a pictorial view similar to FIG. 3 and shows the reel from the rear;

FIG. 5 is an elevational view similar to FIGS. 3 and 4 and shows the tape being stripped from the hub onto the thumbs of an operator; and

FIGS. 6 shows a second embodiment of the present invention, the view being partly in cross-section and partly in isometric wherein the outer flange has been detached from the reel.

The reel or spool 10 of the present invention includes a flange 14 rigidly mounted on a reel shaft`18. The flange 14 carries a plurality of integral, equally spaced fingers 16 (See particularly FIGS. 2 and 4) extending from the flange substantially parallel to the supporting shaft 18. The end of each linger is bent over to form an ear 15, which ear extends a short distance inwardly toward the shaft 18 and provides a seat for a compression spring, to be described in detail, hereinafter. The fingers 16 may be of various lengths depending on the width of iiexible web material 12 for which the reel is intended to be used.

A preferred mounting for the reel shaft 18 is shown in FIG. 1. The end of the shaft extends into the tubular hub, or hollow shaft, 20 of a drive pulley 22 and is provided with a combination key and retainer, which will presently be described. The pulley 22 is rotatably mounted in a suitable bearing 24 which is supported in the frame plate of any suitable business machine, such as a typewriter, adding machine, tape punch, or the like. A hairpin like detent spring 26 has one end closely fitted into an axial aperture 28 in the end of the reel shaft 18, and its other end sprung into a loosely fitted radial aperture 30 in the side of the shaft. When the reel shaft is slipped into place on the drive pulley 22, the detent spring slides into a keyway 32 provided in the bore of the tubular hub 2i). Preferably the spring 26 is constructed with a slight node, or protuberance, 27 which snaps into -a radial aperture 21 provided in the side wall of the pulley hub 20 opposite the key-way 32 and positively seats the reel shaft 18 on the drive pulley 22. The pressure of the spring 26 provides friction for retaining, or locking, the reel on the drive pulley, and also serves as the key for providing positive drive. Accordingly, it will be seen that the reel and pulley are coupled together for rotation as a unit about their axes. Pulley 22 is adapted to be rotatably driven by any suitable means, such as, for example, a drive belt 23 operated by any suitable power source (not shown). Undesirable lengthwise movement of the reel shaft 18 in either direction is prevented lby the node 27 of hairpin spring 26 engaging in the aperture 21 in the pulley hub 20; and the pulley shaft is held in its proper position by any suitable thrust washer 34.

The reel 10 of the present invention includes a pair of spaced-apart side plates, or discs, 36 and 38, the first ofl which can be called a stripper disc. The stripper disc 36 is slidably supported for axial movement on the hub 14, as by slots 58 in the disc (see FIG. 4) embracing the lingers 16 of the hub 14, as shown in the drawings, the stripper flange 36 is provided with a plurality of concentric slots 53 as Well as a central aperture 60. The stripper flange 36 is thus slidably supported for axial movement on the hub 14, the slots 58 cooperating with the fingers 16 to guide axial movement of the stripper 36.

The stripper flange is normally urged to its inoperative position shown in FIG. 1 by a conical (volute) spring 62, the smaller diameter of which presses against the stripper flange 36 and the large diameter presses against the bent over ears 15 of hub 14. By using a conical spring rather than a coil spring, the stripper 36 is permitted greater axial movement and upon compression of the conical spring 62, the coils thereof will nest inside each other. Thus, less space is required for compressing the spring 36. In other words, as the stripper flange 36 is axially moved, the coils of the conical spring 62 will nest inside of each other and the stripper 36 will be permitted axial movement to almost the distance equal to the length of the plurality of fingers 16 extending from hub 14. The outer ange 38 (FIG. 1) is carried on a knob 40 having a tubular hub 42, the inner diameter being such that the tubular hub 42 may easily slide over the reel shaft 1S. A flange retainer 44 (see also FIG. 6) surrounds the tubular hub 42 and retains the ange 38 on the knob 40 against a shoulder thereof, as shown. The hub 42 of the knob 40 is releasably mounted on the reel shaft 18 by means of a resilient member, or O-ring 48 carried within an internal annular groove 46 provided in the bore of hub 42.

As the knob is easily slid onto the reel shaft, the O-ring 48 grips the reel shaft with a slight tension. As the knob reaches its fully assembled position (FIG. l), the O-ring 48 moves into a shallow, curved bottom, annular groove 50 provided on the reel shaft 18. The O-ring, by its engagement with the groove S in shaft 18, holds the knob (and consequently the outer iiange) in place. When the reel 10 is in assembled condition, the end of the tubular hub 42 abuts a shoulder 52 provided on the shaft 18, and thereby determines the spacing between the two discs 36 and 38. It should be mentioned here that the pressure of the O-ring frictionally retaining the outer flange 38 on the reel shaft 18 is not as strong as the pressure exerted by the detent spring 26, which retains the reel shaft 18 in the pulley 22, so that a relative slight pull on the knob 40 removes the outer flange 38. In this manner accessibility to the wound roll of tape is provided. Hence, it can be seen, that a pull on the knob 40 will remove the outer ange 38 from supporting shaft 18 and, thus, will not disrupt the position of the reel on the pulley 22. However, a strong pull on the hub 14 will remove the reel 10 from the pulley 22.

Many other means for retaining the outer flange 318 on the reel shaft 18 will be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art. Another preferred type of ange-retaining means which has been found to work satisfactorily and which is inexpensive and easy to manufacture is shown in FIG. 6. In this embodiment the shallow annular groove 50 of FIG. l is replaced by an aperture S4 bored through the shaft 18, in which bore 54 is mounted a common spring ball detent 56. The detent 56 includes a spring 55 which resiliently urges a pair of balls 59 outwardly. The balls are maintained within the bore 56 by slightly deforming the ends of the bore so that a portion of each ball extends past the surface of the shaft 18 and are yet maintained within the bore. The detent 56 coacts with an annular groove 57 provided in the tubular hub 42 as the hub is slid onto the shaft 18, and frictionally retains the outer flange 38 in place on the shaft relative to the stripping flange 36. Again, it should be mentioned, that the ball detents 56 are not as strong as the detent spring retainer 26, so that the outer ange can be easily removed without disturbing the position of the reel 10 on the pulley 22.

It was previously mentioned that reel 10 was provided with two discs, one (disc 36) of which was referred to as a stripper. The stripper flange and its action in removing the wound roll of iiexible web material from the hub will now be described.

With the present invention, it is no longer necessary to exert a great deal of force or considerable care when it is desired to remove the wound roll of tape from reel' 10. As pictured by the steps shown in FIGS. 2 through 5, the wound roll of tape 12 is removed from hub 14 by grasping the stripper flange 36 with the ngers and pressing against the bent over ears with the thumbs (see FIG. 2). A slight squeeze by the operator will move the stripper 36 axially of the hub 14 (FIGS. 3 and 4) and slide the wound roll of tape 12 onto the thumbs of the operator (FIG. 5). Thus, the danger of pulling the center out of the wound roll of tape 12, as so often happens when removing a wound roll of tape from a take-up reel is avoided. It is, therefore, apparent that the present invention requires only a simple pull of the stripper 36 with the fingers and a push against the hub 14 with the thumbs in order to remove the wound roll of tape 12 from the reel 10. Thereafter, the operator releases the stripper flange 36 which is then returned to its normal position by the conical return spring 62. The outer ange is then slipped onto the shaft where it is removably retained by the detent means described.

FIG. 6 shows an alternative method of mounting the stripper iiange return spring which avoids the possibility of having the coils of the conical spring 62 from protruding beyond the bent over ears 15 of hub 14 when the spring is compressed. As seen in FIG. 6, the larger coil of the conical spring 62 lies against the stripper flange 36 while the smaller coil abuts a plate 64. Plate 64 includes a plurality of spokes which cooperate with the bent over ears 15 of the fingers 16 of hub 14 and the spokes are pressed against the ears by the conical spring 62. With this embodiment, conical spring 62 is compressed between the stripper 36 and the plate 64 upon axial movement of stripper 36, and thereby avoids any possibility of spring 62 interfering with the removal of the wound roll of tape 12 from the reel 10.

The invention also provides means whereby the complete reel can be removed from its drive means quite readily. As described herein, the detent spring 26 provided on the reel shaft 18 retains and keys the reel 10 to the drive pulley 22. A relatively strong pull on the reel quickly removes it from the pulley 22. In this manner, the reel 10 may be removed from the drive means.

It will thus be sveen that this invention provides a simple and yet an improved reel for web material. Since certain changes may be made in the above constructions without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description, or show in the accompanying drawings, shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

What is claimed is:

1. A take-up reel for receiving tape comprising:

a drive member;

a supporting shaft;

means for securing said supporting shaft to said drive member;

a ange mounted on said shaft;

a plurality of tape-supporting fingers on said flange and extending substantially parallel to said shaft;

a stripping ange slidably supported for axial movement on said fingers; and

a conical-shaped spring normally urging said stripping ange to an extended position.

2. A take-up reel as claimed in claim 1 further comprising an outer ange releasably mounted on said shaft.

3. A take-up reel as defined in claim 1 wherein said fingers have the outer ends -bent inwardly toward said shaft, and

a plate including a plurality of spokes slidably supported axially on said shaft and normally urged against said bent over portions of said plurality of ngers by said spring.

4. A take-up reel as dened in claim 2 further comprising:

a first detent means for releasably mounting said outer flange to said supporting shaft;

a second detent means for releasably securing said supporting shaft to said drive member, said second detent means being stronger than said first detent means.

5. A take-up reel as defined in claim 1 wherein said drive member comprises a hollow shaft into which said supporting shaft can be inserted, and a detent means for holding the two together comprising:

a hairpin-like spring having one end thereof closely fitted in an axial aperture in the end of said supporting shaft and the other end of the hairpin-like 5 6 spring loosely fitted into a radial aperture in said a drive means -detented to said shaft for rotating said SUPPOIUg Shaft; and reel, wherein the detent for said drive means is a keyway provided in said drive member for receiving stronger than the ydetent for said retainer means so lsaid lhairpin-like spring to frictionally retain said as to facilitate removal of said retainer means withdrive member on said supporting shaft. 5 out disturbing the position of said drive means on 6. A take-up reel for tape comprising: said shaft. a shaft; References Cited a hub -mounted on said shaft about which the tape is UNITED STATES PATENTS Wound; a stripping means slidably supported on said hub for 10 478,147 7/1892 Webb 242-68'3 X stripping the Wound roll of tape from said hub; 1'29136'8 1/1919 BSS 242-683 means for resiliently `urging said stripping means to 118231245 '9/1931 Wlttel 242-81 X its normal nonstripping position; a retainer means detented on said shaft for retaining FRANK I COHEN Prlmary Exammer' the wound roll of tape of said hub; 15 N. L. MINTZ, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A TAKE-UP REEL FOR RECEIVING TAPE COMPRISING: A DRIVE MEMBER; A SUPPORTING SHAFT; MEANS FOR SECURING SAID SUPPORTING SHAFT TO SAID DRIVE MEMBER; A FLANGE MOUNTED ON SHAFT; A PLURALITY OF TAPE-SUPPORTING FINGERS ON SAID FLANGE AND EXTENDING SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL TO SAID SHAFT; 